Aquatic Research Facility

The Aquatic Research Facility of Carus (Carus-ARF) is not only one of the best fish facilities in the Netherlands, but in all of Europe. The facility accommodates a broad spectrum of research in the aquatic environment, from fresh to salt and from warm to cold waters. Research fields include: fish feeding, welfare and recirculation systems (water treatment), and main research interests are feed digestion and water pollution.

Unique within this facility are the aquatic respiration chambers, which provide the opportunity to perform continuous measurements and determine the metabolism of a group of fish. For research purposes and for external parties, several lines of carp and zebrafish are maintained with specific genetic characteristics at the facility. Although emphasis is on research with fish, research is not limited to this area, as respiration studies are also performed on corals and we have experience with organisms such as sepia, seahorses, pipefish, sea urchins, etc. and also aquatic plants, periphyton and algae production.